[open] Salvage and squeeing on the shore

[birdlady]

Who: EVERYBODY IT'S A LAKE PARTY
What: Clean-up! Chao rescue service! Other stuff! Open log!
Where: The lake
When: March 9-15
Warnings: Let's hope the lake Gyarados isn't pissed off about the spaceship that landed in its house...

Just as she said, Melia was at the shore of the lake in the early afternoon, already directing her bodyguards around the scattered, remaining pieces of the Egg Carrier littering the ground. What she really wanted to do, though, was find those Chao. It was a bit selfish of her, she thought, to be more concerned about finding the cute critters than cleaning up the lake, but she did have a good reason. She had to make sure they were all right in the aftermath.

And she wanted to pet one. Or all of them.

((This is a catch-all 'do stuff at the lake' log! Go nuts!))

Comments

[inspirethewires]

Only one thing could undo all the effort Hajime had put into hiding away from people, avoiding contact in any and all forms, and generally neglecting any sort of social activity whatsoever, and that was cleaning up the mess he'd made. Also, sitting in the dark got really dull and did not help to clear up depression, so maybe this would help take his mind off of things.

Naturally, it did not, as it was still looking and interacting directly with the wreckage resulted from his efforts, but it was still something to do. He may as well try dragging whatever he can out of the shallows; it was neither clear to him yet how much strength he had, nor if water would kill him yet.

Despite his best efforts to avoid being noticed, the new robot was still made of very shiny metals, not to mention getting used to unfamiliar, weirdly strong limbs. Hopefully he won't drop any debris on anyone trying to avoid Chao.

[voltecpower]

This would be the first time Pulse actually got a good look at Hajime since he last spotted him among the others fighting up on the deck. He hadn't really been made clear on his fate since then, though he had heard some rumors. He didn't put much thought into it, seeing as how he had only known roboticization to involve putting a living thing inside a robot shell against their will, but then... well, this explains the strange energy signature he had been occasionally picking up in the hallways lately.

There was an audible CLANG from afar as Pulse quickly tossed the metal chunk he had been inspecting into his pile of scrap. RoboHajime would find Pulse standing next to him maybe a second later, staring at him.

"...Mr. Tanaka?"

[inspirethewires]

Jerking in surprise at Pulse's sudden proximity, Hajime lost his grip, and the large, twisted beam he'd been trying to lift thudded to the ground. So far, lifting absurdly heavy things didn't prove so hard as balancing them.

"Oh--ah. You're... Pulse, hello."

In a valiant effort to make up for his past disregard, Hajime tried to lock eyes, with unflinching eye contact. It lasted about two seconds before he felt altogether too awkward, and sheepishly focused on the dropped beam again. There was no need to make a thing of this, anyway. Keep it short and simple.

"Thank you for your help, before."

[voltecpower]

"O-oh! Sorry!"

Pulse jumped a little when the bar came down, realizing now that he had surprised him. He had a bad habit of forgetting about things like that.

Finding Hajime fixing his gaze, he froze up somewhat; eye contact wasn't his forte either, not by a long mile, and meeting someone else's gaze always engaged his fight-or-flight whether he liked it or not. But then, with what was apparently a robot, it felt a little different, more familiar. It was only when Hajime turned away when it started to feel weird to Pulse.

He looked away, trying to comprehend the situation. Hajime was a human being before. Now he's a robot. Was there much difference between the two, besides the obvious? It appeared that Hajime had retained his personality, although he wasn't anywhere near as bright and spirited as he was before. But then, neither was anyone else. Those who had been fighting that night were either in the hospital, tending to their wounds, off somewhere else rehabilitating, or were down here trying to clean everything up.

Of course, there was also the possibility that Hajime wasn't feeling all that great about being turned into a robot, either. Pulse knew how a lot of humans felt about robots, but mostly he knew that people like his da--Doc Waruyama and Dr. Eggman using robots to frighten, harm, and enslave others wasn't helping when it came to the public image of robots.

"I don't think this was your fault at all." Whoops. Thought out loud.

[inspirethewires]

For just a second, he looked up at him again, waiting for the punchline, or maybe just well-meant pity. Instead, honesty radiated off of Pulse, and he had to look away once more. That sort of faith should have helped to hearten him, at least a little, but instead only managed to highlight how little certainty he felt in anything himself.

"That's kind of you to say. But none of this would have happened without my action."

[voltecpower]

Pulse blinked.

He wasn't entirely sure what Hajime meant; none of "this" as in him becoming a robot? Or "this" as in "this" in general, everything that happened as a result? He realized that someone who wasn't very enthused about being a robot when they were human before would probably see the experience as something like a sacrifice. He wondered what exactly had been going on for Hajime to end up in this state, through events that Pulse wasn't on hand to witness for himself. With the way he carried himself before, with all his charisma and motivational attitude, Pulse could only think that whatever fate he met on the Carrier came about through an act of heroism. Though Pulse was normally inclined to see such things through a lens of skepticism, it was something that he learned from his girlfriend Riche during times when cold logic didn't serve him so well: sometimes you just need to have faith in people.

"Well... if it weren't for your action... There would still be hundreds, maybe thousands, of living creatures being used to further whatever aims Eggman had. They would still be trapped inside those robots."

Pulse gestured toward the beat-up hull of the Carrier, at least what part of it was still visible above the water.

"...and Eggman would still be in a position where he could use those robots to hurt people."

[mohawk_tomahawk]

Connor knew what happened to Hajime, he was there. He also knew what he looked like now, he was there.

Seeing Hajime was surprising because he really did kind of oft and hide away, Connor hadn't seen him since the raid. That was maybe good and bad. Bad because he had hoped the one who initiated the raid to begin with would be out and taking charge of clean up, as what leaders should do. Good because, well, it didn't come out as glorious as Hajime probably hoped.

Connor had to remember that he was a kid, but that was still no excuse really.

He caught the reflection of the light and decided it was time to confront, mono to mono. He had to know how he was handling it, for everyone affected.

He was walking to him.

[inspirethewires]

There had been a number of reasons Hajime had been avoiding people, especially those who had aided in the raid. By this point, his continued evasion was largely based on his own behavior: he should have come out to show some sort of thankfulness for their help, but he'd been too selfish and wrapped up in himself. The people who had put so much on the line deserved better than that, and he'd made a fool of himself ignoring them. He'd caught himself in a spiral of bad opinions.

Hajime saw Connor's approach, but didn't turn to him to greet him. It was possible that the janitor would walk right by, and there was no point in distracting him. More likely, Hajime was about to get chewed out, so it was better to simply let it happen and not pretend at cordiality.

Connor looked mad, probably. Maybe. It was a lot harder to tell these kinds of things without souls to read.

[mohawk_tomahawk]

Maybe he was angry, maybe a little. This whole situation felt familiar to him and he expressed a similar emotion when handling THAT mess.

George Washington wanted to retire after all that was said and done, and Connor didn't want to hear any of it. He had his responsibility to uphold, so did George, and now so did Hajime. The whole Washington thing was a beast far gone, but Hajime he had to solve.

"Hajime," Connor began with as he was close enough. "Where have you been?"

Let's get the basic questions out of the way.

[inspirethewires]

Oh god do not compare Hajime to George Washington that's not something his processors can handle right now and he doesn't even know American history that well

Avidly avoiding eye contact, the recent robot kept all of his attention on his work. The best course was to behave as if he knew what he was doing, now if not before; even if his decisions for handling things weren't the right ones, he couldn't think of anything better, so he may as well own them.

"Keeping out of the way. After my performance, I figured it was better for someone who knew what they were doing to take the lead."

[mohawk_tomahawk]

Sorry, but, this was sounded a lot like that one time he did have that talk with Washington, a man Connor didn't claim to really like that much anymore. Or really, a man he was civil with but didn't trust for various and justifiable reasons.

Long story short, he wasn't going to have any of that talk.

Connor took a long, hard look toward Hajime, feeling serious about this. He could barely believe Hajime even said that. Oh, Hajime, were you ready for a doozy?

"Ridiculous." Connor nearly spat out, "You share some blame, you led our troupe to put this to an end."

[testgasm]

Perhaps Wheatley had some kind of robo-radar. Perhaps he sensed the arrival of a new robot on campus.

Being human did have its advantages, and if he was going to spend any amount of time near water, he was going to be in a form that wouldn't die if he fell in it. Also, sometimes it was nice to have two legs.

Whatever the reason, a freshly be-gingered Wheatley was sort of bumming around near the lake when he spotted him. One of his own kind.

"Ah!"

Having found one of his own kind, Wheatley was quick to rush over to Hajime, positively brimming with excitement. "Hello there! Are you--are you new? Have you just arrived?"

[inspirethewires]

For how little the two of them had interacted, it made sense that Wheatley would fail to recognize Hajime in such a different form. That didn't stop the sting shooting through him at Wheatley's eager, clueless questioning.

Instead of giving a proper answer, the little LED lights that make up Hajime's eyes scanned up and down Wheatley's falsely flesh body. The sight of it had made him sick, one time. he just couldn't stand to look at all that ginger.

Slowly, dutifully, he turned back to work on the debris. "No. I've been here a while."

[testgasm]

"Oh?" How did he miss this robot. Wheatley must not have been paying attention, or been very busy in the library, or something. That had to be it.

"What's your designation?"

[inspirethewires]

Well, Hajime certainly hadn't been paying much attention to Wheatley, either, so it evened out. Again, the question made him flinch. This is what he was, now. Just a new robot without a directive.

"Hajime Tanaka."

[testgasm]

Wheatley knew that name, of course, and instantly jumped to the first conclusion that popped into his head, suddenly growing visibly angry.

"You were a robot this whole time!?"

He accompanied the furious accusation with a dramatic point. "I knew it!!"

[megabuster]

Rock hadn't seen Hajime ever since... well, the incident. He worried about the guy though. This had to be hard for him, for more reasons than one. But seeing him outside again, he decided to check up on the cheerleader.

"Hey... How are you doing...?" Rock asked cautiously, hoping he wouldn't simply be rebuffed out of hand.

[inspirethewires]

"I'm trapped in an unending state of existential dread and self-loathing over realizing the enormity of my past wrongdoings and careless disregard for those around me, as well as my physical recalibration to a body separated entirely from the biology I know and understand."

It spilled out, deadpan and clinical, while Hajime continued trying to find a good grip on a massive, thick metal plating that had jammed itself into the ground. The little metal plates making up his brow ground together in an imitation of furrowing.

"But, I'm doing it outside, now. So. Better, I guess."

[megabuster]

"Er... yeah," Rock replied. This was off to a great start.

He went to help Hajime, grabbing on to the metal plate with him to help pluck it out of the ground. He didn't know how much strength Hajime commanded as a robot, and Rock happened to have enough to spare.

"We'll turn you back," Rock tried to reassure him.

[inspirethewires]

"That would be nice."

Ah yes, you can tell by all that enthusiasm how much faith he has in that.

"Still, there are bigger things than me for you to concern yourself with. I understand."

[megabuster]

Setting the plate down carefully, Rock clapped Hajime on his shoulders, looking him right in the optic sensors. "We're going to help you, and we're going to get you back to normal. I promise." He didn't even think, it was just his instinctive reaction to seeing Hajime like this. "I..." Rock's hands dropped, and he looked down, a feeling of shame washing over him. He couldn't meet Hajime in the eye. "I'm sorry... I said I'd watch your back, and I let you down..."

[powersuit_aran]

Samus was (un)conveniently on a sudden space mission to account for her absence on a mission what she would have otherwise been more than eager to join in on. Not many people liked Eggman and she was one of them. Still, riffling through the wreckage and helping to clean up the Chao's sanctuary was the best consolation she could offer in spite of that. Much like the shattered ship she was still parsing through details of what happened exactly, and it was all anyone could do other than to move forward.

That, and, just maybe there may have been something useful in all this crap. Hajime was notably not the only "robot" on the scene, if Samus could count for that much. Her suit was bio-mechanical, something akin to a second skin. Electronics and hardware thrummed with the beat of her heart as one entity. With it she was able to easily venture deep deep into the lake and drag out entire pieces of hull, covered in pondweed and sediment. Visibility was sort of limited and frankly, she didn't think she'd be in anyone's way enough to turn on any of her thermal visors. Her mistake, probably. His for being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

When she breached the shoreline right in front of Hajime she at least had enough sense to stop the second her big metal boot touched something that wasn't dry land.

"..."

[inspirethewires]

You'd think, with all this fancy new tech, they could aid in reflex response time. They probably could, even, if Hajime had been really paying proper attention to his surroundings, but alas, it was not to be.

The robotic figure emerging from the lake was familiar in that We've-Both-Been-Here-Long-Enough-To-Have-Seen-Each-Other way, but Hajime realized in that moment, with some bewilderment and mostly distress, that he had not a name, action, or even basic acknowledgement to associate with it. Given his track record with the inorganic students and staff around here, it was an anomaly. With a better look from close up, there was definitely something off that he couldn't quite place.

At that point, he pulled himself out of his gormless staring, belatedly staggering out of its way.

"Sorry--didn't mean to--you've got a lot on your hands, obvi... uh, do you need help, you, you look like you've got it but I thought I'd... I'll, I'll just get out of your way."

[powersuit_aran]

Definitely at least We've-Both-Been-Here-Long-Enough-To-Have-Seen-Each-Other way, say nothing for the very old news reports from 2011 before his time and/or perhaps begrudged student accounts of one mysterious entity Justin Bailey that persisted in spite of that.

She didn't quite know it was Hajime yet.

"It's fine." She waited patiently until he was well and safe out of her and this giant scrap piece's way before trudging on.

"If you see anything of use, take it." She would be a good sport about her findings. This robot kid probably would put more use of it than she would. Living with Falcon and his financial luxuries admittedly made her slightly more picky about the quality of mech and tech she chose to work with now in her personal projects and hobbies.

Not that she still didn't like to procure it herself.

[inspirethewires]

"Oh--oh. No, I'd... rather not see any of this stuff again."

The thought startled him, actually, that people could make use of the remains. He really ought to have thought of it as the only logical solution, but a bitter part of him wished it would all rust away where he could never see it again.

"I... I guess any use you've got for it would be better than what it was before." In spite of himself, he couldn't keep the apprehension out of his voice. "There's too many resources here to let go to waste." So long as he kept reminding himself of the logical, mature option, he could probably keep from getting too distraught.